Royal Oak

Beaumont ranked No. 2 among state hospitals

By Chris Jackett
C & G Staff Writer

ROYAL OAK — Local residents don’t need to go far if they’re looking for the best orthopedic hospital in the state.

Beaumont Hospital, 3601 W. 13 Mile Road, was recently recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the nation’s “Best Hospitals” in the magazine’s 23rd annual rankings.

Only the University of Michigan’s C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital ranked higher in Michigan, and the Royal Oak hospital placed better in several categories. About 4,800 nationwide hospitals were looked at, and both Mott and Beaumont landed inside the top 32 with 10 or more special recognitions. Mott was No. 17 nationally on the honor roll, while the 18 through 32 positions were not specifically listed beyond what schools made the top 32.

“All of these hospitals are the kinds of medical centers that should be on your list when you need the best care,” said U.S. News Health Rankings editor Avery Comarow in a release. “They are where other hospitals send the toughest cases.”

Ranking as “high performing” in 10 of 16 categories is quite a feat for the local Beaumont campus in Royal Oak, as less than 150 of the 4,800 surveyed hospitals qualified in at least one category. Orthopedics was Beaumont’s highlight at No. 19, followed by Ear, Nose & Throat and Pulmonology both at No. 23, Diabetes & Endocrinology at No. 30, Urology at No. 35, Gastroenterology at No. 36, Neurology & Neurosurgery at No. 37, Cardiology & Heart Surgery at No. 38, Geriatrics at No. 45 and Nephrology No. 48. Last year, only urology, orthopedics, heart and geriatric made the list.

“We are very, very proud for the accomplishments Beaumont has done,” said Dr. Ananias Diokno, executive vice president and chief medical officer of Beaumont Health System. “The immediate imprint is the validation of our physicians providing extraordinary care. Our quality is really top notch. One of the key elements of all this is you have to have doctors who are top notch.”

Diokno noted that Beaumont doctors cannot get a job simply by walking in with a high-level degree, but they must also be board certified.

He also said Beaumont’s Royal Oak hospital was No. 3 in metro Detroit last year and No. 1 in 2010, but this was the first year the rankings looked statewide and included Mott.

“This is better than last year,” Diokno said. “The year before (in 2010), metro Detroit ranked us No. 1. This is a truly validation of who we are.”

The University Health System Consortium ranks the top-100 national hospitals and most recently ranked Beaumont as No. 8, the highest in Michigan.

“They put a lot of emphasis on quality,” Diokno said of the rankings. “It also helps me identify those areas we didn’t make it and why.”

Diokno said he hopes the Medical Oncology, Gynecology and Ophthalmology departments can make the “high performing” list next year.

He said a medical school connection with Oakland University is also helping Beaumont to recruit nationally recognized doctors and physicians.

“I think the excitement is the fact that the medical school benefit is just beginning,” Diokno said.

To view the full U.S. News & World Report rankings, visit http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals. For more on Beaumont, visit www.beaumont.edu.
 

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Chris Jackett at cjackett@candgnews.com or at (586)279-1110.